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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25666054">Normal is Overrated</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybee_motorcyles/pseuds/honeybee_motorcyles'>honeybee_motorcyles</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sherlock (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Autism, Autistic Sherlock Holmes, Autistic diagnosis, Disability, M/M, POV John, POV Sherlock, autistic characters, autistic child, autistic parents</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:49:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25666054</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybee_motorcyles/pseuds/honeybee_motorcyles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Autism is a hard diagnosis to have, especially for parents. When their daughter was diagnosed with it; Sherlock needed to tell John a secret he had kept all his life in the depths of his mind palace.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sherlock Holmes/John Watson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>138</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>10 Years of Sherlock, Neuroatypical!Sherlock</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Normal is Overrated</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/7PercentSolution/gifts">7PercentSolution</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_Baillier/gifts">J_Baillier</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For 7 and J</p><p>Thank you for the YGTYH series; specially the story By A Thousand Cuts. That story helped me figure out how to approached my relationship with my folks. This story is for the two of you.</p><p>Thank you to my Bata Reader, who help me figure out how to work commas,  ILikeStopwatches.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Normal is Overrated </p><p>Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Willow Sophia Holmes-Watson (OC)<br/>
Summary: Autism is a hard diagnosis to have, especially for parents. When their daughter was diagnosed with it,  Sherlock needed to tell John a secret he had kept all his life in the depths of his mind palace.  </p><p>John and Sherlock sat at Willow’s developmental paediatrician’s office waiting for the results of her autism evaluation. </p><p>Willow’s teacher at her Day School had told them that she was concerned with her speech delay, communications and behavioural issues. She engaged in a lot of the stereotypical behavior; Sherlock had known that all too well. </p><p>Sherlock had reassured John countless times that although Willow had deficits in communication and speech, her IQ test was advanced for her age.  He wasn’t worried about her. Their daughter was a great kid. </p><p>The doctor came in holding her file. She had a dog and a cat with her partner as a way to test the water on having children, Sherlock deduced. </p><p>“I asked you to come here to talk about Willow’s recent issues at school. I do believe that she has Autism Spectrum Disorder - level two,” the doctor said looking at them. “Though Willow’s IQ is 145 meaning she is very bright, she lacks the socio-emotional skills to lead a normal life. However, we have a lot of therapies…” Sherlock tuned her out.</p><p>They too, had noticed Willow wasn’t normal. Her communication skills weren’t typical of a child that bright. She was always babbling about her obsession with the piano. For her birthday, they had bought her a baby grand; she was really great with it. She had taught herself how to play; now, she could play grade three level Trinity even though she had been learning for less than a year.</p><p>“There are therapies… such as Applied Behavioral Analysis.”</p><p>Sherlock jumped with the mention of ABA. “No, no way, you are not subjecting my kid to that.” He stood up, followed by John leaving the doctor, a confused Doctor Foreman, in their wake.</p><p>Sherlock hailed a cabbie outside office. Inside the cab, John said, “A bit not good, Sherlock, why did you do that?” </p><p>Sherlock didn’t respond. Instead he seemed to find his finger nails interesting. “Sherlock, I am talking to you. You are scaring me.” John grabbed his arm. That was when John looked at his palm. “Sherlock,” he said. “Give me your palm.”</p><p>Instead of giving John his hand, he pressed harder; Sherlock knew he was stimming. He knew that he ought to tell John about his darkest secret for Willow’s benefit. However, what if John decided to break up with him and take Willow with him.  If John left him, he would crumble and die.  </p><p>“Sherlock,” John said, worriedly, trying to catch Sherlock’s eye which Sherlock averted. “You’re hurting yourself, love. Can you tell me about it?”</p><p>“No.” They reached Baker Street and went up the seventeen steps to their flat. The apartment was quiet; Willow was with the nanny upstairs.  Sherlock, after washing the evidence of his self-stimulatory behaviour went up to her room.</p><p>The nanny, as soon as she saw Sherlock came in, looked at him and asked without words how the appointment went. Sherlock approached his daughter, who didn’t gave any indication she saw him.  “She has it,” he said simply.</p><p>“Hi, Willow,” Sherlock said, looking at his kid with a sense of understanding.</p><p>“Hi, Papa,” Willow said. Through speech therapy, she could carry out a little conversation. </p><p>“How was your day?”</p><p>“Good…” She was scripting.  He knew that this was just the autism speaking.</p><p>“You know I miss you?”</p><p>“Miss you.” This was one of the classic autistic traits. Parroting what he told her. He sighed. He knew this all too well. His ABA therapist would tell him off, telling him to answer the question. He always did. </p><p>He had always thought that there was something wrong with him. That he wasn’t as smart as Mycroft. His older brother had friends growing up. He did not.</p><p>He didn’t like the idea of his beautiful girl having difficulty, not at all. In a spilt second decision, he decided to tell his spouse about his diagnosis.</p><p>xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx</p><p>Dr. John Watson was seated in his chair with a laptop on his lap; he was researching autism and ABA therapy. He was still wondering why his partner didn’t even try to hide his disdain with the mention of the therapy. </p><p>So, John researched about ABA and Autism; he wasn’t a psychotherapist or a developmental pediatrician. However, his husband was showing a lot of signs of it. He lacked the communication skills to talk to people; he was obsessed with the Work and most importantly, Sherlock engaged in self stimulatory actions.</p><p>One conciliation sounded in John’s ear; Sherlock had ASD. Why hadn’t he told John about it? They were married for heaven’s sake. He walked up to Willow’s room. He crept into Sherlock talking to his daughter. </p><p>“Willow, you have Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Sherlock said. “This means that your brain is a bit different from others.” He was rocking their daughter vigorously, just like Willow liked it. “I love you,” Sherlock’s voice almost cracked. “I am very sorry that your life is going to be very complicated, but always remember that Daddy and Papa love you so much.” John crept back out. </p><p>So, Sherlock felt guilty John thought as he descended downstairs. He thought that he had given Willow Autism. When they had first thought about having a child John was adamant about having a biological kid. Sherlock had been indifferent either way. They had enlisted John’s sister, Harriet, to help and a surrogate. Ten months later Willow was born, a completely healthy baby girl. </p><p>Five minutes later, he heard Sherlock decanting down the landing. Sherlock sat close to but not touching him.</p><p> “John?” Sherlock asked, purposely keeping his eyes on him; but not giving him eye contact. </p><p>Not beating around the bush, John asked, “Do you have Autism?”</p><p>“Yes,” Sherlock said, flopping his hand around his thigh in a counterclockwise movement. Sherlock looked as though he wanted to bolt.</p><p>“Why did you not tell me? We’re married, Sherlock! It makes a lot of sense, you know.” John said, voice not harsh but imploring.</p><p>“I didn’t want you to know, because you might have wanted to leave. People left before,” saidSherlock. </p><p>“What’s up with ABA therapy? Do you have any experience with it? Because you know…” Sherlock cut him off and sighed.</p><p>“ABA is problematic, John,” Sherlock shouted.  He gave John his most menacing look. </p><p>“Why?” John couldn’t comprehend. “Foreman said it's good.”</p><p>Sherlock rolled his eyes. “Neurologists and psychologists want us to be normal.” Sherlock stood up pacing the sitting room floor. “These therapies punished us when we were not compliant.”   </p><p>In that moment, John understood. he couldn’t bear the thought that his daughter, however autistic she might have been, being put through that. Still, he wanted to hear Sherlock’s argument on the matter. Playing devil’s advocate, he said, “What’s wrong with complying to the norm?”</p><p>“It’s so disgusting, John. I am not NORMAL and I turned out just fine,” Sherlock said. </p><p>“I know,” John said.</p><p>“You don’t know, John, not really. You could empathise with Willow or me but you don’t understand…” Sherlock shouted. He lowered his voice. “I would rather nurture the things she likes, like music rather than work on things she can’t control like stimming.”</p><p>John sighed. “Okay, love…”</p><p>“Besides, normal is overrated,” Sherlock said.</p><p>“Yes, let’s go to bed, shall we?” He held up a hand and Sherlock took it. Hand in hand, they went to their bedroom.</p><p>The end.</p>
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